Just after the contest was released, I laid out some of my overarching strategies for Underdog’s Weekly Winners contest and some of the players I am targeting.
A month of drafting later, I am ready to lay out players I like more in this format and less, something that will hopefully help with both your micro and macro strategies for tackling the Weekly Winners format.
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Players to Target in Weekly Winners:
I am more interested in Christian McCaffrey in Weekly Winners. He has had more spike weeks than any running back, and I am less concerned with the opportunity cost of not taking a top receiver in this format. We are looking for one week we can leverage, putting CMC in play.
Davante Adams is a good bet in any format, but over the last few years, no player has spiked more top-heavy weeks than Adams. I like him with Jimmy Garropolo as the only QB on my team, something I would never do in traditional tourneys. Adams is a great addition in any strategy.
Mark Andrews is someone to target in both formats, but elite tight ends are MORE in play in Weekly Winners as TE is a position you can separate yourself. He can either help win you money solo or stacked with Lamar Jackson.
I mentioned in my first article George Kittle, and he remains a good choice. T.J. Hockenson also fits this theory very well. Where in BBM4 opportunity cost at the other positions makes elite TE tougher due to so many good late choices, it is something I try to do every Weekly Winners draft.
Deebo Samuel was a human spike week in 2021. He is in shape and you are able to cheaply add either him or Kittle and come back with a still too-cheap Brock Purdy as your only QB. By using this strategy, you access top-end upside and use very little draft capital to do so allowing better odds of separating.
Gabe Davis is someone you can target without stacking in this format as he is a big play or two waiting to happen. With reports that he doubled down on his conditioning and prep for the season, I like him more in this format
Treylon Burks' ADP is dropping after the signing of DeAndre Hopkins, but he could still put up cheap spike weeks. I have one team where I took Purdy/Samuel and Tannehill/Burks for double cheap stacks loaded with top-end spike guys.
I am much more interested in high-end backup RBs in Weekly Winners. Zach Charbonnet and Elijah Mitchell are two examples. Why? Well since I am often taking only one QB and often go fragile at least one of the other positions, it leaves room to take more shots on high-upside players who need an injury in front of them.
Players to Fade in Weekly Winners:
I am much less interested in Stefon Diggs in Weekly Winners. He has only broken 30 fantasy points three times in two years. With the cost of stacking him with Josh Allen, he is down my list of players in this format. When I do take him I won’t look to stack him.
Keenan Allen has never been a spike week guy, and while his ADP isn’t great in either format, he makes zero sense in most Weekly Winners builds.
Dallas Goedert is the clear third option on his team, and his spike week potential to help you to separate is therefore less. I am not high on him at ADP in either format but haven’t drafted him yet in a Weekly Winners.
Jameson Williams is someone who we draft in BBM4 hoping he crushes during the playoff weeks. Without that upside, he is just a guy who is going to miss a bunch of games quite possibly when you need him. I am only taking him at a discount.
We are much more interested in ceiling than floor in Weekly Winners than we are in regular best ball tournaments. We want ceiling of course in BBM4 as well, but we are much less likely to need a floor player in Weekly Winners. We also want to make sure our players are available to contribute since we don’t know which week our super spike week stud will go off!
This is part of a best ball strategy series from expert best ball player Tod Burros.
